Here is kind of analysis which I guarantee that you would have never read or heard anywhere else on Shoppers Stop (Organized Retail), its future growth potential limits and the expected return from point of view of equity investor in Shoppers Stop or Pantaloons or Trent (Westside).

Please read the below analysis and always keep in mind the following 4 simple facts:
• Indians on an average spend close to 60% of their expenditure on FOOD.
• Organized Retail have just 1% or even less share of FOOD sales in India.
• Indians spend around 10%-11% only on clothes, beauty products and footwear.
• Almost 80%-90% of sales of Shoppers Stop or Pantaloons or Trent (Westside) are clothes , beauty , accessories and footwear products and less than 10%-15% comes from food sales and that too comes from great brands of food (Nestle-Maggi , Cold Drinks , Biscuits ,Milk products ,etc which are razor thin margin business)or commodities which are again almost zero margin products.

With the above thoughts firmly in mind here goes my analysis.

With Organized Retail currently being around 6-7% of total retail sales I am predicting that in next decade or two it will not reach even close to 18-20% of total retail sales and I’ll back it up with logic.

This prediction is completely opposite (downright negative if you want to say) compared to every single projection available in India and abroad by any institution on future of Organized Retail. The prevailing wisdom is Organized Retail will soon by 2015 or so (add 1-2 years more if you like) capture almost 15%-18% of total retail sales in India and in the process the companies like Shoppers Stop or Pantaloons or Trent (Westside) are great buys even at P/E of 35+. Again I have not seen sell ratings on any of these companies except one by Nirmal Bang. Rest all are positive on this sector as a whole factoring in years of future growth at a return on capital which is at least twice of what these companies have shown in last decade of phenomenal growth when in fact for 4-6 years credit was as cheap as air.

The consultants , analysts , investment bankers and investors may have got it all wrong in trying to figure out how much expansion can the Organized Retail logically have in India given India’s unique expenditure pattern , infrastructure , real estate and electricity situation which is completely different from anywhere in the world .

This happens because a typical person who is consultant/analyst working in a company which brings out studies on growth potential of Indian retail may have say a package of minimum 12/15 lakhs per annum and his spending is less than 10% on food but he buys jeans at Rs. 4000, shirts at 2000 ,shoes at Rs. 5000 , perfumes at 3000 , LED TV at 50000 and some furniture at 25000 from the mall and he just cannot connect with how real India spends money on even though the data is right infront of his eyes.

Organized Retail will NOT be as successful and profitable in India as is projected by Everybody

Now that is a very bold(someone will say stupid) prediction to make when everyone sees 100s of malls seemingly springing up every corner of town and full of thousands of shopping hungry people .

I have not come across any article on net which even remotely says that Organized Retail in India will NOT really be that successful as it is generally predicted to be. In fact after FDI in multibrand retail has been increased to 51% not one article came in any prominent newspaper which said that the Walmarts , Tescos of the world may not succeed in India . Everyone just automatically does following conclusion from some facts –

India Growing country ( 7-8% + GDP growth)

Has young population and a huge middle class who are earning a lot

Organizedretail is just about 5%

Directly implying that when OrganizedRetail becomes at least 15% there will be so many players who will make tons of money .

But I doubt anybody really has thought that may be India’s Organized retail will at least for coming 2 decades will NOT have a penetration level as it is made out to be . Even if penetration level does go up considerably still it will NOT be profitable enough for the players/investors in the market .

Business Consultants if they read this post are not going to like my thoughts at all. But I am writing this mainly warning to the prospective foreign retailers who plan to be entering India in coming months and years in the hope of growing profitably based on ONE SIDED ppts/docs given by the so called retail experts/consultants from India. I hope I am proven wrong in coming decade or two.